Towards Economic Inclusion in the Western Balkans

William Bartlett, Milica Uvalić (eds.) November 2022

This edited volume puts forward a more inclusive model of development in the Western Balkans and argues that a more socially inclusive path would secure faster economic growth and facilitate EU integration. It also assesses female entrepreneurship and other topics rarely covered in the literature on the Western Balkan.

Political Elites and Decentralization Reforms in the Post-Socialist Balkans: Regional Patronage Networks in Serbia and Croatia

Alexander Kleibrink, August 2015

In order to understand varying outcomes of decentralization reforms in transition states, this book develops a resource-dependent approach adapted from organization studies; it acknowledges the power-seeking nature of political elites. They are more likely to strike an agreement on decentralization reforms when their share of future patronage resources is certain. This book's analysis makes a strong argument for a more cautious donor policy that often rather ingeniously supports decentralization.

Europeanization of the Western Balkans. Environmental Governance in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia

Adam Fagan; Indraneel Sircar, August 2015

Focusing on a particular policy domain – environmental governance – the book considers how new institutions are created and how they develop alongside existing structures on a national and EU level. It analyses consultative processes around major infrastructure projects in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia funded by international financial institutions such as the World Bank in order to ascertain to what extent international agencies and other governmental and non-governmental organisations have contributed to environmental governance in line with European best practice.

The Politics of Extreme Austerity. Greece in the Eurozone Crisis

Georgios Karyotis, Roman Gerodimos (eds.), March 2015

In late 2009, Greece found itself in the global spotlight as the country struggled to remain solvent and in the Eurozone. In the four years that followed, the Greek government implemented a series of radical austerity measures, while receiving bailouts and loans of unprecedented magnitude.This volume investigates the framing, policies and politics of extreme austerity during those crucial four years. Featuring multidisciplinary contributions from leading social scientists and an exclusive interview with George Papandreou – the former Greek Prime Minister who handled the crisis from 2009 to 2011 – this is the first comprehensive account of the economic crisis at the heart of Europe.

The Foreign Policies of Post-Yugoslav States. From Yugoslavia to Europe

Soeren Keil, Bernhard Stahl (eds.), December 2014

The post-Yugoslav states have developed very differently since Yugoslavia dissolved in the early 1990s. This collection analyzes the foreign policies of the post-Yugoslav states focusing on the main goals, actors, decision-making processes and influences on the foreign policies of these countries. It demonstrates how internal and external developments help to explain why their foreign policy, and with it EU integration, have proceeded so differently. Country experts analyze the seven states that emerged from the former Yugoslavia and point towards unique developments in these countries that have had a profound impact on their foreign policy. 

Europeanization and Civil Society. Turkish NGOs as Instruments of change?

Markus Ketola, April 2013

This book examines the (dis)connections between EU civil society policy and Turkish NGOs in detail. Through interviews with key actors from the NGO sector, and policymakers from the EU and Turkish government the book draws a picture of a complex and intricate relationship. Turkish NGOs do not passively accept the top-down agenda set by the EU civil society funding framework but often find creative ways to circumvent and resist the EU's objectives. 

Civil Society and Transitions in the Western Balkans

Vesna Bojičič Dželilović; James Ker-Lindsay; Denisa Kostovicova, January 2013

This book examines the ambiguous role played by civil society in state-building, democratisation and post-conflict reconstruction in the Western Balkans. In doing so, it challenges the received wisdom that civil society is always a force for good. Civil society actors have helped create the conditions for new, more constructive relations inside and between former Yugoslav countries. But, their agency has also rekindled nationalism, hindering effortsto rebuild the nation after the conflicts of the 1990s. This rigorous case-study-driven reappraisal of the ability of civil society to support progressive transformation will be a valuable resource to scholars and practitioners alike.

Health Reforms in South-East Europe

Will Bartlett; Jadranka Božikov; Bernd Rechel, September 2012

The book analyses key aspects of health reforms in South-East Europe, including primary health care, hospital care, health financing decentralization and the internal and international migration of health workers. It provides a comparative analysis of health reforms and health workforce mobility in the region, and includes contributions from Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. 

The Last Ottomans

K. Featherstone; D. Papadimitriou; A. Mamarelis; G. Niarchos, January 2011

Why when faced with a brutal occupation and then a bloody civil war, did the Muslims on Greece's border with Turkey remain passive? This first in-depth historical study of the minority explores the puzzle as well as the complex patterns of identity of the minority. It is based on extensive Greek, Turkish and Bulgarian archive materials, many of which have not been analyzed before, as well as the official documents of the British and US governments and personal interviews with many of those who lived through these events. The Last Ottomans traces a fascinating, untold story and tells it through an inter-disciplinary lens, raising important questions of relevance not only to the 1940s but also to the inherited assumptions and images of today.

The Greek-Turkish Conflict in the Aegean. Imagined Enemies 

Alexis Heraclides, July 2010

The Greek-Turkish Aegean conflict, now in its fourth decade, is a threat to the stability of the geopolitically sensitive region between Europe and Asia. This timely and balanced study examines the diplomatic history of the dispute, the various abortive attempts at settlement and its intricate legal dimension. The Aegean dispute is a complex conflict involving sovereignty, national security, oil, freedom of transit and access to islands and ports. The Greek-Turkish Conflict in the Aegean conclusively shows that these matters are not the main issues at stake, and moreover that the conflict may be resolvable. The crux of the problem is the mutual fear and suspicion deeply ingrained in historical memories.

Nationalism in the Troubled Triangle. Greece, Cyprus and Turkey 

Ayhan Aktar; Niyazi Kızılyürek; Umut Özkırımlı, February 2010

Nationalism in the Troubled Triangle is the first systematic study of nationalism in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey from a comparative perspective. Bringing scholars from Greece, Turkey and both sides of Cyprus (and beyond) together, the book provides a critical account of nation-building processes and nationalist politics in all three countries.